Button release handle

ABSTRACT

A handle for receiving an elongate medical device is provided. The handle includes a housing defining an elongate hollow interior portion, the hollow portion defining a first portion proximate the distal end and the aperture, a second portion. A core is slidably disposed within the interior portion and includes a ramp portion extending from an outer surface of the core at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis, and two or more arms extending outwardly from a proximal end of the core and biased toward an extended configuration where a proximal end of each arm extends radially outside of an outer surface of the core, wherein the two or more arms combine to define the proximal opening. A button is movably disposed within the aperture substantially blocking communication with the hollow portion through the aperture, comprising an inclined surface that slidably engages the ramp surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 61/497,358, filed on Jun. 15, 2011, the entirety of which is herebyincorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The field of the disclosure is that of medical and surgical instruments,and in particular, medical and surgical instruments intended primarilyfor minimally-invasive procedures. These instruments typically have asmall diameter for entering body spaces or orifices of limited size andoften are sold with or are usable with handles to assist with themanipulation of the device.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A first representative embodiment of the disclosure is provided. Theembodiment includes a handle for receiving an elongate medical device,such as a basket, a snare, forceps and the like. The handle includes ahousing defining an elongate hollow interior portion that allowscommunication through an open distal end and through an aperturedisposed upon a side surface of the housing. The hollow portion definesa first portion proximate the distal end and the aperture, a secondportion that is disposed proximally of the first portion with an innerdiameter less than an inner diameter of the first portion, and a thirdportion that is disposed proximally of the second portion with an innerdiameter larger than the inner diameter of the second portion. A core isslidably disposed within the interior portion and includes a centrallumen disposed therethrough along a longitudinal axis between a distalopening and a proximal opening. The core includes a ramp portionextending from an outer surface of the core at an oblique angle to thelongitudinal axis, and two or more arms extending outwardly from aproximal end of the core and biased toward an extended configurationwhere a proximal end of each arm extends radially outside of an outersurface of the core. The two or more arms combine to define the proximalopening. A button is movably disposed within the aperture andsubstantially blocks communication with the hollow portion through theaperture. The button includes an inclined surface that slidably engagesthe ramp surface, wherein engagement of the ramp and inclined surfacesestablishes a normal position of the core within the housing, such thatthe arms are aligned with the second portion of the hollow portion tourge the arms inwardly away from their extended configuration andminimize the size of the proximal opening.

Yet another representative embodiment of the disclosure is provided. Theembodiment includes a handle for removably receiving an elongate medicaldevice, such as a basket, a snare, forceps and the like. The handleincludes an elongate rigid housing enclosing a central hollow portiondisposed along at least a substantial portion of the housing and anaperture disposed upon a side surface of the housing communicating withthe hollow portion. The hollow portion maintains a first inner diameterfor a majority of a length of the hollow portion. The hollow portionadditionally includes a thin smaller inner diameter portion at aproximal portion of the hollow portion. A slidable core is disposedwithin the hollow portion of the housing, and includes an elongate corelumen disposed therethrough. The core lumen is sized to receive a shaftof an elongate medical device; the core further includes a ramp surfacedisposed thereon. A collet is disposed within the hollow portion andmovable with movement of the core within the housing. The colletcomprises a collet lumen in registration with the core lumen, and two ormore arms attached to a proximal end of the collet at a first portionthereon and each with a second portion that is biased radially outwardoutside of an outer surface of the collet. The slidable core and thecollet are each biased distally such that the second portion of each armcontacts the smaller diameter portion to urge each arm radially inwardfrom its biased configuration toward a restrained configuration.

Yet still another representative embodiment of the disclosure isprovided. The embodiment includes a handle for removably receiving anelongate medical device, such as a basket, a snare, forceps and thelike. The handle includes a housing that is configured to receive theproximal portion of the elongate medical device within a lumen providedalong the longitudinal axis of the housing. The housing includes a voidthat extends from a side surface of the housing and into the lumen. Thevoid receives a button therethrough that is movably mounted within thehousing and operable by a user holding the handle. The button includes abutton lumen that is normally at least partially offset from the housinglumen, but may be placed in coaxial registration with the housing lumenby depressing the button toward the lumen of the housing. When anelongate member of a medical device is threaded through the lumen andthe button lumen, the elongate member becomes engaged at the distal andproximal ends of the button lumen with the housing to prevent relativemovement of the elongate member within the housing lumen due tofrictional forces. When the button is fully depressed, the button is inregistration with the housing lumen and the elongate member may beeasily removed from (or manipulated within) the button lumen andtherefore the housing.

Yet another representative embodiment of the disclosure is provided. Theembodiment includes a handle for removably receiving an elongate medicaldevice, such as a basket, a snare, forceps and the like. The handleincludes an elongate rigid housing enclosing a central hollow portiondisposed along at least a substantial portion of the housing and anaperture disposed upon a side surface of the housing communicating withthe hollow portion. The hollow portion maintains a first inner diameterfor a majority of a length of the hollow portion. The hollow portionadditionally includes a thin smaller inner diameter portion at aproximal portion of the hollow portion. A slidable core is disposedwithin the hollow portion of the housing, and includes an elongate corelumen disposed therethrough. The core lumen is sized to receive a shaftof an elongate medical device; the core further includes a ramp surfacedisposed thereon. A collet is disposed within the hollow portion andmovable with movement of the core within the housing. The colletincludes two or more arms that contribute to a rear opening into thecollet lumen, wherein the motion of the arms radially outward increasesa diameter of the rear opening. The core lumen and the collet lumen areconfigured to slidably receive the shaft of an elongate medical device,such that a proximal end of the shaft extends through the rear opening.An elongate portion of a medical device is provided as a kit with thehandle, the elongate portion comprises a proximal tip and a transitionportion connected distally of the proximal tip and formed with a smallerdiameter than a diameter of the proximal tip, wherein the transitionportion is configured to be received within the collet lumen, and theproximal tip extends through the rear opening.

Advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the following description of the preferredembodiments of the disclosure that have been shown and described by wayof illustration. As will be realized, the disclosed subject matter iscapable of other and different embodiments, and its details are capableof modification in various respects. Accordingly, the drawings anddescription are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not asrestrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a representative handle of thedisclosure.

FIG. 1 a is the view of FIG. 1 with a medical device received within thehandle.

FIG. 1 b is the view of FIG. 1 with the button depressed.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the handle of FIG. 1 showing thehandle in the normal configuration.

FIG. 3 is the view of FIG. 2 showing the button depressed.

FIG. 4 is the view of FIG. 2 showing a medical received within thehandle with the handle in the normal configuration.

FIG. 5 is the view of FIG. 3 showing a medical device inserted withinthe handle with the button depressed.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of a handleshowing the handle in a normal configuration without receipt of anelongate device therewithin.

FIG. 7 is the view of FIG. 6 with the button fully depressed receivingan elongate device therewithin.

FIG. 8 is the view of FIG. 7 with the button released to retain theelongate device therewithin.

FIG. 9 is a side view of an alternate elongate portion of a medicaldevice.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the FIG. 2 showing receipt andengagement with the elongate portion depicted in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate handle that isconfigured to further manipulate a medical device, showing the medicaldevice in a closed configuration.

FIG. 12 is the handle of FIG. 11 showing the device in an openconfiguration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning now to FIGS. 1-5, a handle 10 is provided that is configured toreleasably receive a proximal portion 1 of an elongate medical device,such as a basket, a snare, or the like. The handle 10 includes a housing20 and a core 40 slidably disposed within an internal, hollow portion 23of the housing 20. The hollow portion 23 may extend from an open distalend 21 a of the housing 20 to an open proximal end 21 b of the housing20, while in other embodiments, the hollow portion 23 may extend from anopen distal end 21 a to a closed proximal end. In embodiments with anopen proximal end 21 b, the proximal end 21 b may be ultimately closedwith a cap 74 that is removably mounted to the proximal end of thehousing 20, with a threaded connection, a snap fit or press fitconnection, or by another attachment structure known in the art. Instill other embodiments, the distal end of the housing 20 may besubstantially closed, with only a central opening configured to receivethe proximal end 1 of a medical device therethrough. As shown in FIG. 1,in embodiments with an open distal end 21 a of the housing 20, theproximal end 1 of a medical device may be threaded directly into a lumen41 of the core 40, which extends along the entire length of the core 40,and in some embodiments along the longitudinal axis 100 (FIG. 2) of thecore 40 (which may or may not be co-linear with the longitudinal axis ofthe housing 20, or the handle 10).

As best shown with combined reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the core 40 isslidable longitudinally within the housing 20 as urged by movement of abutton 80 that extends through an aperture 27 in the housing 20 and isoperable by a user that is holding the housing 20 with a single hand,and in some embodiments, is operable by simply pressing the thumb of theuser's hand on the button 80 to compress it further into the aperture27. As will be discussed in additional detail below, depressing thebutton 80 urges the core 40 proximally within the hollow portion 23 ofthe housing 20 to a removal configuration (FIG. 3), and releasing thedepressed button 80 cases the core 40 to return to its normal position(FIG. 2).

The housing 20 is an elongate, substantially rigid member that may beconfigured to be held and manipulated with a single hand of a user andis configured to allow the user to insert and remove a proximal elongateportion 1 of a flexible medical device therein. The housing 20 may be asingle molded piece, or may be assembled from two or more clam-shellhalves that are fixed together after the housing 20 is assembled. Thehousing 20 has an outer surface 31 that may be ergonomically andgeometrically adapted for the comfortable receipt and manipulation bythe user's hand. In some embodiments, the housing 20 may be formed witha smooth or rough outer surface 31, may have a plurality of projectionsfor comfortable receipt of a user's fingers, or other design featuresknown in the art. The housing 20 may be made from a rigid plasticmaterial, such as ABS or may be made from a metal, or may be made from acomposite material. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciatethat while a plurality of materials are available for use in the housing20 (as well as the other components of the handle 10, discussed below),material selection will be based upon various factors such as cost,weight, strength, availability, manufacturability and the like.

The housing 20 is configured to define an inner hollow portion 23, whichis an open internal volume within an inner surface 32 of the housing 20.The hollow portion 23 includes a distal, first portion 22 that extendsfrom an open distal end 21 a (in embodiments including this structure)or at least a distal portion of the housing 20 and extends along amajority of the length of the housing 20. The first portion 22 isdefined at a first inner diameter and is in communication with anaperture 27 defined through a portion of the side wall of the housing20. In some embodiments, the aperture 27 may be of a constant shape andsize through the thickness of the side wall of the housing 20, while inother embodiments the aperture may have a first cross-section at theouter surface 31 of the housing 20 and form a larger cross sectioninwardly from the outer surface 31 of the housing 20. The area of thehousing side wall distinguishing the larger and smaller cross-section ofthe housing is defined as the step 34 (FIG. 2).

The hollow portion 23 includes a second portion 24 proximal of the firstportion 22, which has a smaller inner diameter than the inner diameterof the first portion 22. The second portion 24 may be defined from awall 33 that extends radially inward into the hollow portion 23 from theinner surface 32 of the housing 20 along the entire inner circumferenceof the hollow portion 23, the majority of the inner circumference, or atpredetermined positions within the inner circumference, to substantiallyreduce the inner diameter of the hollow portion 23. As discussed belowin additional detail, the wall 33 of the housing 20, and the secondportion 24 of the hollow portion 23 defined therefrom, is configured tourge the arms 64 of a collet 60 (in conjunction with the core 40)together to minimize the size of the rear opening 61 a into the colletlumen 61. As discussed below, in some embodiments, the collet 60 andcore 40 may be formed as a monolithic piece, such that the arms 64 are apart of the core 40, although operation of the device with a monolithiccore 40 and collet 60 is substantially the same as the embodiment wherethe core 40 and collet 60 are different elements joined together. Forthe sake of brevity, embodiments with separate collet 60 and core 40fixed together will be discussed, but one of ordinary skill in the artwill understand that the structure disclosed herein can be freelysubstituted with a monolithic core 40 and collet 60.

The hollow portion 23 may further include a third portion 26 proximal ofthe second portion 24, which has a larger inner diameter than the innerdiameter of the second portion 24. In some embodiments, the innerdiameter of the third portion 26 may be substantially the same as theinner diameter of the first portion 22, while in other embodiments, theinner diameter of the third portion 26 may be different. The thirdportion 26 of the hollow portion 23 is configured to allow space for thesecond ends 66 of each of the plurality of arms 64 of the collet 60 toextend radially away from each other and radially away from the outersurface of the collet 60, with the radial outward motion of the secondends 66 of the arms 64 increasing the size of the proximal opening 61 ainto the collet lumen 61. As mentioned above, the housing 20 may includea proximal opening 29, which is normally closed by a cap 74 that isfixably retained upon the housing 20 to close the proximal opening, butis removable to allow for assembly of the handle 10. The cap 74 may befriction fit within the housing, threaded upon the housing, or in someembodiments where the housing is a single molded piece (or formed fromtwo clamshell halves), the cap 74 may be formed integrally with theremainder of the housing 20.

The core 40 is an elongate member that is slidably received within thehollow portion 23 of the housing 20. The core 40 has a lumen 41 thatextends therethrough, which may extend collinearly with the longitudinalaxis 100 through the core 40, while in other embodiments, the core lumen41 extends in an offset manner from the longitudinal axis. In someembodiments, the core lumen 41 extends through the core 40 in parallelto the direction of sliding motion of the core 40 through the hollowportion 23. The core lumen 41 is configured to receive the proximal end1 of an elongate medical device therethrough and is either accessible tothe user through the open distal end 28 of the housing 20, or through ahole in the distal end 21 a of the housing 20 and in registration withthe core lumen 41. The core lumen 41 is configured to receive theproximal portion 1 of a medical device therethrough, to allow free,limited friction, sliding of the proximal portion 1 therealong,including an enlarged proximal tip 1 a (FIGS. 4-5) that may be presentupon the elongate medical device.

The core 40 may include an upstanding surface 44 at or near the proximalend of the core 40, that is configured to engage one end of a spring 70,such as a compression spring, that may be disposed within the hollowportion 23 and between the upstanding surface 44 and the wall 33 of thehousing 20. In some embodiments, the spring 70 may be installed in acompressed manner (with the handle 10 in the normal configuration) suchthat the core 40 constantly feels a force urging the core 40 distallywithin the hollow portion 23. The core 40 includes one or more rampsurfaces 46 (46 a) that extend from the core 40 at an oblique angle βwith respect to the longitudinal axis 100 of the core 40. The one ormore ramp surfaces 46 (46 a) are configured to make sliding contact withinclined surfaces 86 (86 a) of the button 80 as discussed below. In someembodiments, a portion of the core 40 defining a ramp surface 46 (or 46a when provided) may also define the upstanding member 44. The spring 70biases the core 40 in the distal direction to urge continuous contactbetween the ramp surface(s) 46 (46 a) of the core 40 and the inclinedsurface(s) 86 (86 a) of the button 80. The contact between the ramp andinclined surfaces 46, 86 establishes the avenue for transfer of forcefrom the button 80 to the core 40 (and ultimately to the arms 64 of thecollet 60), but also prevents further distal motion of the core 40within the hollow portion 23, which allows for embodiments of the handle10 with an open front portion on the housing 20 without the core 40sliding distally out of the housing 20.

The button 80 is a member that is received within the aperture 27 in theside surface of the housing 20 and is configured to engage the core 40,as discussed above. Specifically, the button 80 includes one or moreinclined surfaces 86 (86 a) that extend radially into the hollow portion23 of the housing 20 to engage the opposed ramp surfaces 46 (46 a) ofthe core 40. In some embodiments, the inclined surface(s) may bedisposed at substantially the same angle β with respect to thelongitudinal axis 100 of the core 40, such that the opposed ramp andinclined surfaces 46, 86 make sliding contact with respect to eachother. The angle β is configured to impart a proximally directed forceupon the core 40 for moving the core 40 proximally within the hollowportion 23 of the housing 20 as the button 80 is urged into the hollowportion 23 of the housing. The angle β is determined by an optimizationof at least two competing factors, i.e. the amount of availablehorizontal motion of the core 40 with a set vertical displacement of thebutton 80 (e.g. smaller angles β provide for greater horizontaldisplacement with respect to a set amount of vertical displacement),competing with the larger frictional forces observed with smaller anglesβ (due to a larger vertical component of the force vector acting as anormal force upon the surface contact). Angles around 45 degrees arebelieved to be suitable for this design, as well as angles within therange of about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees, inclusive thereof. Ofcourse, the specific angle β chosen will be optimized based upon therequired horizontal movement of the core 40 needed and the verticalmovement of the button 80 available, and those of ordinary skill in theart will be able to choose an optimal angle β based upon the specificgeometric (size, shape), and physical design of the handle 10 withreference to this specification. Similarly, in embodiments where theproximal end 1 of the medical device includes an enlarged tip 1 a (FIGS.4-5), the proximal opening 61 a of the collet 60 needs to be largeenough to allow the tip 1 a to pass when the button 80 is fully pressed,but still retain the proximal end 1 of the medical device when thehandle 10 is in the normal configuration, thereby requiring a largerrange of motion of the arms 64 of the collet 60 and potentially a largerrange of horizontal motion of the core 40 than embodiments where theproximal end 1 of the medical device does not have an enlarged tip (1a).

In some embodiments, the button 80 defines a ledge 84 that surrounds allor a portion of an extended central portion of the button 80. The ledge84 is a cross-sectional portion of the button that includes a largercross-sectional area than the top surface 82 of the button 80, and maybe formed along a plane 83 (FIG. 2) formed below and in parallel (or ata constant offset distance in embodiments where the top surface 82 isnot planer) to the top surface 82 of the button. As best shown in FIG.2, the ledge 84 of the button engages a step 34 formed in the housing 20to prevent the button 80 from falling through or being removable fromthe aperture 27 in the housing. As can be understood, the combinedgeometry of the ledge 84, the button 80, and the step 34 define therange of upward motion of the button 80 within the housing 20, and also,based upon engagement between the opposed ramp and inclined surfaces 46,86, defines the limit of core 40 motion in the distal direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the top surface 82 of the button 80 may be recessedbelow the outer surface 31 of the housing 20 to prevent spurious andunintended motion of the button 80 (and therefore unintended release ofthe device from the handle 10). Specifically, the recessed positioningof the button 80 below the outer surface 31 of the housing 20 minimizesthe chance of the button 80 being engaged and depressed if the handle 10is inadvertently dropped or mishandled.

As mentioned above, the collet 60 is disposed proximal of the core 40and is configured to translate within the housing 20 with motion of thecore 40. In some embodiments, the collet 60 may be removably fixed tothe core 40 (such as with a threaded connection as shown in FIGS. 2 and3, or alternatively, the collet 60 may be insert molded to the core,press fit, or fixed thereto with adhesive or fasteners), while in otherembodiments, the collet 60 may be monolithically formed with the core40. The collet 60 includes a collet lumen 61 that extends through thecollet 60 and in registry with the core lumen 41 to receive the elongateproximal end 1 of a medical device disposed therethrough. The colletlumen 61 extends to a proximal end through a rear opening 61 a that isdefined by the second ends 66 of a plurality of arms 64 that extend fromthe collet 60. Each of the plurality of arms 64 include a first portionfixed to the collet 60 and a second portion 66 that extend from thecollet 60. The second ends 66 of each arm 64 are biased away from theouter surface of the collet 60 and from the second ends 66 of the otherarms 64, such that the second ends 66 are urged to establish arelatively large rear opening 61 a into the collet lumen 61 when thearms 64 are free to move to a biased outward configuration (FIG. 3),i.e. when the arms 64 are within the third portion 26 of the hollowportion 23.

As shown in FIG. 2, the collet arms 64 are normally maintained in anarrowed configuration within the second portion 24 of the hollowportion 23, due to the biasing force of the spring 70 upon the core 40.The wall 33 of the housing 20 urges the plurality of arms 64 toward theouter surface of the remainder of the collet 60 and toward each other,such that the size of the rear portion 61 a of the collet lumen 61 isminimized to retain the proximal end 1 of a medical device within thecollet lumen 61. In embodiments where the proximal tip 1 a of themedical device is enlarged, the combined second ends 66 of the arms 64define a rear opening 61 a that is smaller than the cross-section of theproximal tip 1 a to prevent distal movement of the medical device whenthe handle is in the normal configuration. In these embodiments, thediameter of the remainder of the core lumen 41 and the collet lumen 61is larger than the largest anticipated proximal tip 1 a of the medicaldevice to allow the proximal tip 1 a to be threaded through the lumens41, 61. The collet 60 and the collet arms 64 may be made from metal orplastic and contain enough elasticity to deform into a compressed stateand return into an expanded state (normal bias position), withoutsuffering permanent disfiguration.

In some embodiments, the inner surface of the second end 66 of one,some, or all of the collet arms 64 may have a retention structure 67(FIGS. 4 and 5) that assists with maintaining the second end 1 of amedical device inserted within the handle 10 in addition to the normalinward force imparted upon the proximal end 1 of the device from thecompressed arms. For example, the inner surface may be coated with ahigh friction material to enlarge the frictional force felt upon theproximal end 1 of the device disposed within the collet lumen 61. Inother embodiments, the inner surface may have a thicker material tocause the plurality of arms 64 to collectively press upon the proximalend 1 of the device. Alternatively, the inner surface may include aplurality of teeth that collectively dig or bite into the proximal endof the device.

The core 40 and collet 60 are movable proximally within the hollowportion 23 of the housing when the button 80 is depressed by the user.The proximal movement of the collet 60 causes the extended second ends66 of the plurality of arms 64 to move radially outward away from eachother as they slide proximally past the wall 33 in the housing 20 andinto the third portion 26 of the hollow portion 23, due to the outwardbiasing force imparted upon the arms 64 during manufacture. As shownwith reference to FIG. 3, the proximal motion of the arms 64 andradially outward motion of the second ends 66 of the arms 64 causes thesize of the rear opening 61 a of the collet lumen 61 to increase to asize where the proximal end 1 of the medical device is no longer engagedby the arms 64 and is freely removed from the collet lumen 61 and thehandle 10 (and also allows the proximal portion 1 of the medical deviceto be slid between the arms and through the rear opening 61 a in thecollet lumen 61 when the device is initially being loaded into thehandle 10).

Turning now to FIGS. 6-8, another representative handle 200 configuredto removably receive an elongate proximal portion 1 of a medical deviceis provided. The handle includes a housing 220 that defines a centrallumen 222 extending from a distal surface of the housing 220 blindlyalong the either the entire length or a significant portion of thelength of the housing 220. The lumen 222 and the distal opening into thelumen 222 is configured to receive an elongated proximal portion 1 of amedical device, such as a basket, snare, or the like to allow for amedical professional to ergonomically hold and manipulate the devicewithin the patient. The housing 220 and lumen 222 are configured toreceive the elongate portion 1 in a back loading manner, i.e. theproximal tip of the elongate portion 1 is threaded through the openingand lumen 222 and into the desired position within the housing 220.

The housing 220 further includes a movable button 280 that is disposedwithin a side opening in the housing 220 and is translatable within thehousing 220 in both directions substantially perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis 220 a of the housing 220. The button 280 is receivedwithin a void 224 defined from the side opening 221 of the housing 220and extending through the lumen 222 and to an opposite side of thehousing 220 from the side opening 221. In some embodiments, the void 224may include a stepped portion 225 where the cross-sectional area of thevoid 224 that extends through the lumen 222 (and for some desireddistance on the opposite side of the lumen 222 from the side opening221) is greater than the cross-sectional area of the side opening 221.In embodiments where the void 224 is substantially cylindrical (toreceive a similarly sized cylindrical button 280) the radius of theportion of the void 224 crossing the lumen is larger than the radius ofthe concentric portion of the void 224 that defines the side hole 221.The step change in the size of the void 224 creates a step 225 thatlimits the outward motion of the button 280, in embodiments where thebutton 280 includes a ledge 284 that has a larger cross-sectional areathan the area of the void at the side hole 221. Accordingly, inembodiments where the housing 220 and the button 280 are constructedwith this geometry, the button 280 is free to partially move within thevoid 224, but prevented from leaving the handle through the side hole221. Additionally, in some embodiments, the height of the button 280(and more specifically the height of the button above the ledge 284) issmaller than the distance between the step 225 and the side hole 221,such that the button 280 is recessed within the void 224 to minimize oravoid inadvertent operation of the button 280 when holding ormanipulating the handle 200. One or ordinary skill will appreciate uponreview of this specification that the void 224 and button 280 may beformed from other profiles, such as squares, rectangles, and the like,as well as arcuate versions of these profiles to provide an ergonomicand high strength device.

The button 280 may be biased radially (i.e. in a direction toward theside hole 221) with a spring 290 or the like positioned within the void224 and between a lower surface of the button 280 and an inner wall ofthe housing 220 within the void 224. The spring 290 may be constructedto urge the button 280 toward the side opening 221 as limited by contactbetween the step 225 and the ledge 284. The spring 290 is configured tobe inwardly compressible (i.e. to allow the button to travel radiallyinward within the housing 220) when the top surface of the button 280 ispressed by the user through the side hole 221.

The button 280 further includes a button lumen 282 that extends throughthe width of the button 280, which is sized to accept and allow theproximal portion of a medical device configured to be used with thehandle 200 to slide therethrough. The button lumen 282 is positionedupon the button 280 such that the button lumen 282 is not in registry(either complete registry or partial registry) with the lumen 222 of thehousing 220 when the button 280 is in its normal position (i.e. theledge 284 contacting the step 225 as urged by the spring 290). Thebutton lumen 282 is configured such that the button lumen 282 is insubstantially complete (or at least sufficient) registry with the handlelumen 222 when the button 280 is fully depressed by the user, whichallows the proximal portion of the medical device to be completelythreaded through the housing lumen 222, including the button lumen 282,and in some embodiments, a proximal lumen 222 b disposed proximally inthe housing 220 (i.e. the portion of the housing lumen 222 that theelongate medical device enters after being threaded through the buttonlumen 282).

The button 280 and button lumen 282 are configured such that there issome play for the button 280 to move slightly toward the side opening221 of the housing 220 when the button 280 is released (due to thebiasing force of the spring 290), such that the elongate portion 1 ofthe medical device exiting through the button lumen 282 (and inembodiments where the housing lumen 222 includes a proximal lumen 222 b,both sides of the button lumen 282) is urged into contact with the upperedge of the housing lumen 222 and a portion of the upper surface of thebutton 280 that defines the button lumen 282, establishing a largenormal force therebetween and therefore a high frictional connectionbetween the two. Further, engagement of the proximal portion of themedical device with the housing lumen 222, the opposite edges of thebutton lumen 282, and in some embodiments the edge of the proximal lumen222 b increases the frictional force applied to the medical device toprevent release of the elongate medical device from the housing 220. Insome representative embodiments, the proximal-most portion of theelongate portion 1 of the medical device may be sized such that it maybe threaded from the housing lumen 222 into the button lumen 282 whenthe button 280 is fully depressed (FIG. 7) (established sufficientregistry between the two lumens), but has a larger cross-sectional areathan the opening into the button lumen 282 from the proximal portion ofthe housing lumen 222 a, such that the proximal most portion of theelongate portion 1 cannot be pulled into the button lumen 282 (FIG. 8)until the button 280 is again fully compressed, eliminating the chanceof inadvertent release of the device from the handle 200.

The elongate portion of the medical device may be released from thehousing 220 by fully pressing the button 280 against the biasing forceof the spring 290, which established at least sufficient registrybetween the housing lumen 222 and the button lumen 282 to minimize thefrictional forces upon the medical device to allow it to be removed fromthe lumens by pulling the medical device from the lumens. When themedical device is fully withdrawn from the button lumen 282, the button280 may be released, and the medical device may be fully withdrawn ifwarranted. Upon release of the button 280, the button 280 moves radiallywithin the void 224 (as urged by the spring 290) until the ledge 284 ofthe button 280 engages the step 225 on the housing 220.

In some embodiments, the proximal portion an alternate elongate portion301 of the medical device may be formed with a varying cross section, asshown in FIG. 9. Specifically, the proximal portion of the elongateportion 301 may include a proximal tip 310, a transition portion 311just distal of the proximal tip 310, and a distal portion 312 that isdistal of the transition portion 311. The transition portion 311 isconfigured to have a lower diameter along its length than both thedistal portion 312 or the proximal tip 310. In most embodiments, thedistal portion 312 and the proximal tip 310 will have the same diameteras each other and of the remainder of the elongate portion 301 of themedical device, while in other embodiments when needed or warranted, thedistal portion 312 and the proximal tip 310 may include differentdiameters (both normally larger than the diameter of the transitionportion 311).

In these embodiments, as shown in FIG. 10, the elongate portion 301 ofthe medical device and the housing 20 are configured such that thetransition portion 311 is disposed within the collet 60 when the medicaldevice is fully inserted into the handle 10, with the proximal tip 310extending from the collet 60 and into the third portion 26 of thehousing 20 (or proximally of the button 280 in those embodiments). Theformation of the elongate portion 301 of the medical device in thismanner provides for a step change in diameter that outside of thecollett 60, which provides for additional strength to maintain theelongate portion 1 disposed within the housing in the normalconfiguration (i.e. the nominal configuration shown in FIG. 10), whileminimizing the overall diameter of the elongate portion 1 to providethis step change. It can be appreciated that the housing 20 andalternate elongate portion 301 can be released from the housing bydepressing the button 80 which translates the collet 60 and releasesconnection with the transition portion 311/proximal tip 310 in the samemanner as depicted in FIG. 3 for the embodiment discussed above, whichallows the elongate portion 301 to be removed from the handle 10.

Turning now to FIGS. 11 and 12, an alternate handle 410 may be providedthat is fixably connected to an outer sheath 490 that is coaxiallyreceived about the portion of the elongate portion 301 (or 1, asdiscussed elsewhere herein) that extends from the handle 410. The outersheath 490 is configured such that it may slide over all or a portion ofthe device 2 (such as a basket, snare, forceps, or the like) that isprovided upon the distal end of the elongate portion 301 of the medicaldevice to close the device, or minimize the diameter of the device forinsertion, removal, or manipulation within the patient. The outer sheath490 may be withdrawn proximally from the device such that the device isallowed to expand towards its normal configuration for operation withinthe patient.

The outer sheath 490 is fixed to a cap 492 that is movably fixed withrespect to the housing 420 with a movable shaft 493 that extends intothe distal portion of the housing 420. The movable shaft 493 receives aslider 494 that extends through a slot 495 defined in the housing 420 toallow the slider 494 to move proximally and distally with respect to thehousing 420. For manufacturability purposes, the cap 492 and the slider494 may be removably connectable to each other with a threadedconnection, or the like, or they may fixably connectable, ormonolithically formed together. As the slider 494 is moved distallywithin the slot 495, the outer sheath 490 moves distally toward thedevice, thereby compressing the device and covering at least a portionthereof (FIG. 11).

As the slider 494 is then urged proximally within the slot 495, theouter sheath 490 moves proximally with respect to the device, allowingthe device to fully deploy to its normal biased configuration (FIG. 12).The remaining portions of the housing 420 may be constructed withstructure described in the embodiments above, for example, such as witha button 80 and ramp surfaces 46, such that the collet 60 moves withrespect to the elongate portion 301 to allow the elongate portion 301 tobe released from the handle 10 when the button 80 is depressed.

While the preferred embodiments of the disclosure have been described,it should be understood that the disclosure is not so limited andmodifications may be made without departing from the disclosure. Thescope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, and alldevices that come within the meaning of the claims, either literally orby equivalence, are intended to be embraced therein.

1. A handle for removably receiving an elongate medical device,comprising: an elongate rigid housing enclosing a central hollow portiondisposed along at least a substantial portion of the housing and anaperture disposed upon a side surface of the housing communicating withthe hollow portion, the hollow portion maintaining a first innerdiameter for a majority of a length of the hollow portion, and a secondsmaller inner diameter portion at a proximal portion of the hollowportion; a slidable core disposed within the hollow portion of thehousing, the slidable core comprising an elongate core lumen disposedtherethrough, the core lumen sized to receive a shaft of an elongatemedical device, the core further comprising a ramp surface disposedthereon; a collet disposed within the hollow portion and movable withmovement of the core within the housing, the collet comprising a colletlumen in registration with the core lumen, and further comprising two ormore arms attached to a proximal end of the collet at a first portionthereon and each with a second portion that is biased radially outwardoutside of an outer surface of the collet, wherein the slidable core andthe collet are biased distally such that the second portion of each armcontacts the smaller diameter portion to urge each arm radially inwardfrom its biased configuration toward a restrained configuration.
 2. Thehandle of claim 1, further comprising a button disposed within theaperture and configured to be urged radially inward toward the core. 3.The handle of claim 2, wherein the button has an inclined surfacedisposed thereon that makes surface to surface contact with the rampsurface upon the core, and wherein the incline and ramp surfaces areoriented such that radially inward motion of the button urges the coreand collet in the proximal direction.
 4. The handle of claim 3, whereinthe contact between the incline surface and the ramp surface limitsdistal motion of the core within the handle as urged by a springdisposed within the hollow portion.
 5. The handle of claim 3, whereinmovement of the core and collet in the proximal direction removes thealignment between the arms and the second diameter portion of the hollowportion such that the second portions of each arm are free to moveradially outward from the restrained configuration.
 6. The handle ofclaim 1, wherein the arms each contribute to a rear opening into thecollet lumen, wherein the motion of the arms radially outward increasesa diameter of the rear opening.
 7. The handle of claim 6, wherein thecore lumen and the collet lumen are configured to slidably receive theshaft of an elongate medical device, such that a proximal end of theshaft extends through the rear opening.
 8. The handle of claim 7,wherein the rear opening is defined such that the proximal end of theshaft is prevented from extending through the rear opening when the armsare in the restrained configuration, and the proximal end of the shaftis able to extend through the rear opening when the arms are in thebiased configuration.
 9. The handle of claim 7, further comprising aelongate portion of a medical device provided as a kit with the handle,the elongate portion comprising a proximal tip, and a transition portionconnected distally of the proximal tip and formed with a smallerdiameter than a diameter of the proximal tip, wherein the transitionportion is configured to be received within the collet lumen, and theproximal tip extends through the rear opening.
 10. A handle forreceiving an elongate medical device, comprising: a housing defining anelongate hollow interior portion, the housing defined to allowcommunication with the interior portion through an open distal end andthrough an aperture disposed upon a side surface of the housing, thehollow portion defining a first portion proximate the distal end and theaperture, a second portion disposed proximally of the first portion withan inner diameter less than an inner diameter of the first portion, anda third portion disposed proximally of the second portion with an innerdiameter larger than the inner diameter of the second portion; a coreslidably disposed within the interior portion, comprising a centrallumen disposed therethrough along a longitudinal axis of the corebetween a distal opening and a proximal opening, a ramp portionextending from an outer surface of the core at an oblique angle to thelongitudinal axis, and two or more arms extending outwardly from aproximal end of the core and biased toward an extended configurationwhere a proximal end of each arm extends radially outside of an outersurface of the core, wherein the two or more arms combine to define theproximal opening; and a button movably disposed within the aperturesubstantially blocking communication with the hollow portion through theaperture, comprising an inclined surface that slidably engages the rampsurface, wherein engagement of the ramp and inclined surfacesestablishes a normal position of the core within the housing, such thatthe arms are aligned with the second portion of the hollow portion tourge the arms inwardly away from their extended configuration andminimize the size of the proximal opening.
 11. The handle of claim 10,wherein the button is configured such that radial inward motion thereofcauses sliding contact between the incline and ramp surfaces, whichurges the core proximally within the housing to position the arms withinthe third portion of the housing, thereby increasing the size of theproximal opening as the arms move radially outward toward their biasedoutward position.
 12. The handle of claim 11, wherein the two or morearms are configured to engage a proximal end of the medical devicedisposed through the core lumen when the arms are aligned with thesecond portion of the housing, and the two or more arms disengage fromthe proximal end of the medical device when the arms move toward theirbiased outward position.
 13. The handle of claim 12, wherein theproximal end of each arm includes a surface configured for contactingthe proximal end of the medical device when the arms are aligned withthe second portion of the hollow portion, to prevent motion of themedical device with respect to the core.
 14. The handle of claim 10,further comprising a elongate portion of a medical device provided as akit with the handle, the elongate portion comprising a proximal tip, anda transition portion connected distally of the proximal tip and formedwith a diameter less than a diameter of the proximal tip, wherein thetransition portion is configured to be received within the two or morearms of the core, and the proximal tip is configured to be disposedoutside of the core.
 15. The handle of claim 10, further comprising aspring disposed within the first portion of the hollow portion between ahousing wall defining the second portion of the hollow portion and thecore, wherein the spring biases the core distally as limited by contactbetween the inclined and ramp surfaces to align the two or more armswithin the second portion of the hollow portion.
 16. The handle of claim15, wherein the button comprises a top surface with a cross sectionconfigured to fit through the aperture, wherein a cross section of thebutton at a second position substantially parallel to and below the topsurface is larger than the aperture to define a ledge around aprojection defining the top surface, wherein the height of the topsurface above the second position is less than a depth of the aperturethrough the housing, such that the top surface of the button is recessedbelow an outer surface of the housing due to engagement between theledge and an inner surface of the housing proximate the aperture. 17.The handle of claim 16, wherein the spring biases the core distally tocause engagement between the ledge and the inner surface of the housing.18. The handle of claim 10, wherein the button comprises two inclinedsurfaces defined thereon and the core comprises two ramp surfaces,wherein each of the two incline surfaces are aligned for slidingengagement with one of the opposed two ramp surfaces.
 19. A handle forreceiving an elongate medical device, comprising: an elongate housingwith a housing lumen defined therethrough that is configured to receivean elongate portion of a medical device, and an aperture disposed upon aside surface of the housing that allows communication with a void formedblindly within the housing from the side opening and extends through thelumen and through a portion of the housing on the opposite side of thelumen from the side opening; a button movably disposed within the voidand through the lumen, the button further comprising a button lumen thatis normally not in registration with the housing lumen, the button isbiased toward the side opening by a spring disposed between the buttonand the housing to prevent registration between the housing lumen andbutton lumen, wherein the button may be urged radially inward within thevoid such the button lumen and the housing lumen reach at least partialregistration to allow an elongate device within the housing lumen topass through the button lumen, wherein release of the button causes thebutton to move radially toward the side opening to provide a connectionbetween the device and the housing and button at the intersectiontherebetween.